Our take
Deep forests, Thiers knives, Ambert paper and historic railcars: eastern Auvergne, a real change of scene.
Auvergne's 2nd regional nature park (PNR), created in 1986: rolling forests, the panoramic railcar from Ambert to La Chaise-Dieu, Thiers cutlery, the paper museum in Ambert.
From the Monts du Livradois to the Monts du Forez, east of Clermont-Ferrand: rolling forests, plateaux and valleys. Created in 1986, it is the second regional nature park in Auvergne, after the Volcans d'Auvergne one. On the programme: Thiers, the capital of cutlery, and the Richard de Bas paper mill in Ambert. The historic railcars link Ambert with La Chaise-Dieu (May to September in 2026). On foot, the GR3 crosses the Monts du Forez, and the Tour de Pays makes a loop of nearly 120 km from Ambert. The Maison du Parc welcomes you on weekdays at Saint-Gervais-sous-Meymont.
Why we love it
- The historic railcars between Ambert and La Chaise-Dieu, including the panoramic railcar.
Top tip
The historic railcars link Ambert with La Chaise-Dieu: in 2026, from May to September, with the most departures in July and August. Remember to book. In a heatwave, the forest stays cool.
Before you go
- Parking at the Maison du Parc.
- The park can be explored freely, at any hour and free of charge.
Weather for the next 3 days
Today
12°/4°
1 mm · 29 km/h
Tomorrow
14°/1°
dry · 5 km/h
Tue 27
20°/9°
dry · 13 km/h
Source: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). General lowland forecasts, to be cross-checked with specialist mountain forecasts at altitude.
Practical info
- Address
- Maison du Parc, 63880 Saint-Gervais-sous-Meymont, France
63880 Saint-Gervais-sous-Meymont - Monday8h30–12h30, 13h30–17h30
- Tuesday8h30–12h30, 13h30–17h30
- Wednesday8h30–12h30, 13h30–17h30
- Thursday8h30–12h30, 13h30–17h30
- Friday8h30–12h30, 13h30–16h30
- SaturdayClosed
- TodayClosed
Opening hours
What visitors say
Google rating
Average of 7,041 reviews on Google Maps.
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Your logbook
Around Parc naturel régional Livradois-Forez
Enough to build your day around this address.
A place to see, a night to spend?
Hotels, gîtes and B&Bs within 20 km of Saint-Gervais-sous-Meymont. Availability and online booking.
Worth seeing nearby
Hikes nearby
Waymarked routes within 15 km, GPX track included.
On foot
Mountain bikingHikes around Parc naturel régional Livradois-Forez
On footMountain biking
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